Annular cutting or bore hole enlarging apparatus



,CQ E. REED Aug. 17, 1937.

s sheets-sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23, 19:55

INVENTOR V C/orgynce E., Reed c.; @fr/Lung@ M n o l l. n IH.. /l/ lum H+l l l 1J 1 n Il t] wmv i I f ,m -f?. m; l/W/MW//Uy/ fo u:

ATTORNEY Aug. 17, 1937.

C. E. REED ANNULAR CIUTTING OR BORE HOLE ENLARGING APPARATUS Filed Feb.23, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 17, 193?. C, E, REED 2,090,356

'ANNULAR CUTTING OR BORE HOLE- ENLARGING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1955 slsheets-sheet` 5 v INVENTOR C/olgnce E. Ree d ATTO R N EY Patented Aug.17, 1937 PATET OFFICE ANNULAR CUTTING OR BORE HOLE ENLARGING APPARATUS.-.i l v Clarence E. Reed, Wichita, Kans., wass'ignor to ChicagoPneumatic Tool Company, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of`New Jersey Application February 23,` 1935,Serial No. 7,917

24 Claims.

This invention relates to earth boring tools and more particularly to atool for enlarging a hole already cut.

Large holes are necessary in all deep wells. 'f5 They may be up toseveral feet in diameter but are ordinarily of shallow depth. Heretoforeit has generally been the practice to drill large holes by use of toolshaving a great number of cutters l and which would cut the hole to thefull diameter *l desired. Such prior ,practices have the disad-'vantagerthat too much cutting is done at one time. K An object of thisinvention is to provide an earth boring tool which will cut only oneVannular path at a time, the hole already drilled being used i as kapilot hole. In this manner a rapid cut is accomplished.

*Another object of the invention is to provide a tool-for enlargingholes, which can be built up to any desired size, quickly and easily, bymeans of i120 detachable intertting sections.

Another object is to provide a tool of the built-up type which willlconduct flushing fluid directly to the cutters through the individual'sectionsY p v Other objects will hereinafter appear.

=In the drawings showing apreferred embodik'ment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the assembled boring tool including severalsections.

Fig. 2A in asection ofv Fig. 1 through the axis of the tool.

1 Fig.'3 is an elevation of the central section with the Icutter unitsdirectly connected thereto. #Fig, 4 is anl elevation of the `centralsection.

Y Tg5 Fig. 5 is a view of the underV side of the central section. i Fig.6 is an elevation of the section next outwardly from the centralsection.

- Figw'l is an elevation of the section fitting on :fi/'40' thesectionof Fig. 6.

- 745 .tions Ilv and l2 and a plurality of roller cutter units I3attached tothe outermost section. These several sections intert to forma rigid tool and to transmit rotational movement to the outwardlypositioned roller cutters.

The central section I0 comprises a tubular hub portion having .interiorthreads I4 at its upper end for connection to a drill stem I5.andpresentf ing an exterior cylindrical surface I6 at its lower lend.Intermediate the lengthof .the section are 2155 outwardly projectingflanges I1 the under surfaces i8 of which lie in a common planeperpendicular'to the axis of the section. Beneath each of the surfacesi8 is an outwardly facing surface I9 formed on an enlarged portion ofthe section. l These surfaces i 9 are perpendicular to radii frommy theaxis of the section. Flanges I'l have bolt holes therethrough andthreaded holes 25 open at ysurfaces i9. To strengthen the flanges I1,ribs 25 are provided. Through the ribs which lie cen-r trally of theflanges il, are apertures 2| to con-i duct nushing fluid from theinterior of the section to an opening at the surfaces I8. At the openinginto surfaces i3 are recesses 22 to receive a'packing washer to make thejoint betweenvsec-` I These packing rings are placedVA`V f that a streamof water impinge directly on the hole bottom,`this plug 24 may beremoved or it may have a hole therethrough. With a solid plug in placethe `flushing fluid is diverted entirely through apertures 2l under highpressure.

Each of the outer sections i I and l2 is of ring shape and comprises acentral hub portion 23 having at its upper part an inner cylindricalsurface 2'? and at'its lower part an exterior concentric cylindricalsurface 28. Carried outwardly from the hub portion 23 and spacedtherearound are a plurality of attaching DOrtions 29. The attachingportions, as here shown, are of inverted L-shape and present an upwardlyfacing surface 3B, an inwardly facing surface 3l, a downwardly facingsurface 32 and an outwardly facing surface 33. The surfaces and 3l forman angularly vrelated pair disposed inwardly and upwardly relative tosurfaces 32 and 33 which form an outwardly disposed pair. It is to beobserved that the surfaces 3| and 33 lie inwardly from" surfaces 30 and32 respectively with the result that surface 32 overhangs its adjacentsurface 33. The 'surfaces 353 of one section all lie in one planeperpendicular to the axis of the section and the surfaces 32 of onesection all lie in another plane `perpendicular to the axis of thesection. Surfaces 3'! of Vone section are equidistant from the axis ofthe section and are perpendicular to radii to the section axis andsurfaces 33 of one section are equidistant and perpendicular to radii,from the axis of the section. Surfaces 30 and 3l are formed on an anglemember 34 and surfaces 32 disposed rib 36. Through each rib 35 is aushing posed surfaces flt the outwardly disposed surfaces of the nextinner section, and that its outwardly disposed surfaces will receive theinwardly disposed surfaces of the next outer section. Of particularimportance is the fact that the attaching surfaces of all sections areuniformly formed and that as between different sections Vthe principaldifference is as to the positioning of the attaching portions from Itheaxis of the section. Surfaces i3 and I9 of the innermost section areidentical with surfaces 32 and 33 of the outer sections. In addition tothe interfitting relation between the surfaces 30, 3l, 32, and 33 of onesection with` another, the surface 21 of the hub is of a size to t overthe exterior surface of the hub of the next inner section and thesurface 28 isof a size to receive the interior surface ofthe hub of thenext outer section.

the upper portion of which has formed thereon surfaces 4U and 4Icorresponding in formation to surfaces 30 and 3l of the outer sections,and which has bolt holes 42 placed correspondingly to bolt holes 25, 25and 38. Into the upper portion of the frame 39 is formed a cutterreceiving recess 44 which opens downwardly and outwardly. The lowerportion of the frame 39 is of reduced size relative to the upper portionand presents a 40 guide surface 45 lying inwardly of the opening torecess 44. This surface 45 is set with hard facing metal to resistabrasion. The surface 45 is curved to bear upon the wall of the holepreviously cut to ,serve as a pilot for guiding the 45 enlargingv tool.

The cutter 46 may be rotatably mounted in the recess 44 in anyconvenient manner. As here shown it is mounted upon the spindle portionof a hanger having a shank portion 41 lying in a 50 recess 48 formed inthe outside of the upper portion of the frame. The inner end 49 of thespindle bears against the inner wall of recess 44 for support and seatsagainst a shoulder 44 to take up-thrust. The shank 41 is secured in re-55 CGSS 48.

The cutter units may be attached directly to the innermost section I asby bolts 50 as shown in Fig. 3, in the event that the hole to beenlarged is of small size. After enlarging the hole in this 60 manner,or for enlarging a hole initially of large size, the cutter units may beattached to section II and section II be attached to section I0. Bybuilding up the tool in this manner with sections of increasing size,the cutters may be disposed at 65 a considerable distance from the axisof the tool and a hole of considerable diameter may be cut. It will beapparent that the innermost and outermost surfaces of each section areso related to the width of cut made, that the bearing surfaces 45 70when on an outer section will just enter the hole cut by the cutterswhen on the next inner section. Annular paths of succeedingly increasingsize may thus be cut by the addition of sections, the previously cuthole being used as a pilot 75 hole. In Fig. 1 for example, the holehaving a The roller cutter units I3 include a frame 39,`

wall will have been cut by the cutters when on the central section I0.The hole having wall 52 will have been cut by the cutters when onsection I I using hole 5| as a pilot. The hole having wall 53 is shownbeing cut by cutters on section I2 using hole 52 as a pilot hole. Inlike manner hole 53 will be used as a pilot hole when cutting with thecutters on the next larger section.

While bolted flange connections are shown it is not to be understoodthat the invention is so limited. Broadly considered, the inventionresides in aisectional, built up apparatus, regardless of the means forattaching such sections together. Broadly considered the sections of theframework of the apparatus intert with each other and the center hollowportions telescope. Any one or all the sections may be threadedinteriorly, for instance, and the top section may be interiorly theadedyat its lower end and receive the threaded end of a stem shouldering onthe bottom section, and clamp thesectionsbetween the shoulderuand thetopsection, or the sections may be placed together and held by other typesof clamping means, or otherwise.` The type oi attachment of the sectionswill be somewhat dependent upon the depth of the holes to be made, orthe shafts to be sunk. 'Ihe broad idea isa sectionally constructed framework carrying annular cutting means, guide means, and flushing means. n

The guide means may be individually applied to an annular cuttingdevice, or may be a part of an individual cutter assembly. While theguide is shown, in the drawings, applied to an annular cutting meansonly,`it should be understood that it may be a part of an assembly, in nwhich a pilot bit may be mounted in the lower end of the hollow centralportion to follow the pilot hole, or for initially making the pilot'lhole at the same time, or the central cutting means may be such as toform a multistage bit, viz., a bit or apparatus cutting on two or moreplanes at the same time.

While in the drawings a roller cutter is shown, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that a blade vtype cutter may be used where theearth formation is such as mayy be readily cut thereby.

In defining the characteristics of the sections I0, II, and I2 indicatedin Figs. 3, 6, and 7 in their relation to each other, it may be saidthat they are of Vdifferent diameters. For instance Fig. 5 indicates abottom plan view of the section I0. The diameter of this section,generally speaking, may be said to be the length of the diameter of thearticle which would touch the corners of the flanges I1. It will be seenthat this diameter varies in length in reference to the sections shownin Figs. 6 and 7, the diameter of said circle in Fig. 6 being largerthan that of Fig. 5 which is a bottom plan view of the section of Fig.3, and the diameter of the section of Fig. '1 being larger than that ofFig.r 6, owing to the fact that in Fig. 1 the corners of the flangeswould be at a greater distance from the axial center of the drill thanwould be the corners of the flanges in Fig. 6, and Fig. 6 for the samereason illustrates a section of larger diamete than the section in Fig.3.

I claim: i

1. An earth boring drill for enlarging a previously cut bore holecomprising cutter carrier vmeans composed vof sections one above theother, removably connected together, the uppermost section having meansfor attachmentl to 'a drill stem, and a cutter unit comprising a cutterand a support therefor, said sections having seats receiving the nextlower section, said cutter sup-- port having means for detachablyconnecting said cutter support to the seat of the lowermost section, theseat on each section being at a greater vdistance radially fromV thevertical axis of the drill than the seat on the next higherV section,said seats all being of a form whereby the cutter support may beattached thereto in place of a carrier, substantially as described.

2. An earth boring drill according to claim 1 having guide means, saidguide means cooperating with one of the sections so as to bear upon theside wall of the previously cut bore hole in advance of said cutter.

3. A cutter unit for a bore enlarging earth boring tool comprising asupport, a cutter and a lguide member carried by said support, saidguide member projecting downwardly from said support to -a point belowthe level of the lower portion ofthe cutter, said guide member beingadjacent the cutter and having a bearing surface to engage the side ofthe bore hole being enlarged at a' point substantially in the sameradial plane of the bore hole, in which the cutter lies, substantiallyas described, said support having means to permit its attachmentremovably to a carrier off to one side of the vertical axis of thedrill.

4. A bit for enlarging earth bore holes comprising a plurality ofsections of relatively different diameters arranged with the one ofsmaller diameter uppermost, cutter means, guide means to bear on thewall of the bore hole in advance of the cutter means and means forremovably connecting the cutter means and guide means to the outermostsection, said cutter means and guide means being thereby attachable at adistance from the vertical axis of the drill proportionate to the sizeof said outermost section, substantially as described.

5. An earth boring tool comprising a plurality of connected sectionsdisposed successively out. wardly, the innermost section having meansfor 45 attachment to a drill stem and having a part tor 4:M50 formlyformed, and a roller cutter unit comprising a rotatably mounted cutterand a supporting frame having a part fitting the receiving part of theoutermost section.

6. An earth boring tool comprising a plurality A v55 of connectedsections disposed successively outwardly, the innermost section havingmeans for attachment to a drill stem and having outwardly disposedsurfaces arranged around its periphery at the same horizontal plane,said other sections having inwardly disposed surfaces to fit the nextinner section and having outwardly disposed surfaces to receive the nextouter section, and roller cutter units each comprising a rotatablymounted cutter and a supporting frame having an inwardly disposedsurface fitting one of the outer surfaces of the outermost section.

7. An earth boring tool comprising a plurality of connected sectionsdisposed successively outwardly, all of said sections having a pair ofadjacent outer surfaces including an outwardly facing surface and anoverhanging downwardly facing surface, the innermost section havingmeans for attachment to a drill stem and the other sections having apair of adjacent inner surfaces tting a pair of outer surfaces of thenext inner section, and a roller cutter unit comprising a rotatablymounted cutter and a frame having adjacent surfaces fitting a pair ofouter surfaces of the outermost section. ,l

8. An earth boring tool accordingr to claim 7, in which the inner mostsection has a flushing fluid port extending from a central bore to c achpair of outer surfaces, the outer sections have a flushing fluid portextending therethrough from an inner pair of surfaces to .an outer pairof surfaces, and said cutter unit has a flushing fluid port extendingfrom said surfaces thereon to a point to direct fluid upon the cutter,the port openings registering between adjacent sections.

9. An earth boring tool comprising a plurality of connected sectionsdisposed successively outwardly, the innermost section having means forattachment to a drill stem and the other sections being of annularformation and of sizesff to receive within their interior the next innersection and to receive on their exterior the next outer section, andcutter units, each comprising a rotatably `mounted cutter and asupporting frame having a portion fitting the exterior of the outermostone of said sections.

10. An earth boring tool comprising a plurality of connected sectionsdisposed successively outwardly, the innermost section having means forattachment to a drill stem and having disposed around its exterior pairsof angularly related surfaces uniformly positioned with respect to thesection axis, the outer sections being of annular formation and eachhaving spaced around its exterior pairs of angularly related surfacesuniformly positioned with respect to the section axis and each sectionhaving disposed around its interior pairs of angularly related surfacesfitting the exterior surfaces of the next inner section, and a pluralityof roller cutter. units each having a rotatably mounted cutter andhaving a pair of angularly related surfaces fitting a pair of angularlyrelated surfaces of the outermost section.

1l. An earth boring tool comprising a plurality of connected sectionsdisposed successively outwardly, the innermost section having a centralhub portion with an enlarged attaching portion intermediate its length,the upper part of said hub portion having means for attachment-5,0 toy abit head, the other sections having each a central hub portion andattaching portions carried outwardly therefrom, said hub and attachingportions having inwardly disposed surfaces fitting the next innersection and having outwardly disposed surfaces receiving the next outersection, and a plurality of cutter units comprising rotatably mountedcutters and frames having inwardly disposed surfaces fitting the outersurfaces of the outermost section.

12. A roller cutter unit for a bore enlarging earth boring toolcomprising a frame having an enlarged upper portion a part of whichoverhangs a reduced lower portion, said enlarged upper portion having atone side means for attachment to a supporting structure and having atthe opposite side a cutter recess opening outwardly and downwardly ofthe overhanging portion, said reduced lower portion serving as a guidemeans, and a roller cutter rotatably carried by said frame and lying insaid cutter recess said guide means having a bearing surface lying atright angles to a vertical plane in which the axis of the cutter lies.

13. A cutter frame for attachment in a bore 75 enlarging earth boringtool having a lower guiding portion with anoutwardly facing surface oflimited extent 'circumferentially of the bore hole to bear von arestricted' part only of the wall of the bore hole to serve as guidemeans, an upper portion integral with the lower portion, :having meansto attach said frame to a supporting structure oifset from the center ofsaid structure, said frame having a downwardlyopen cutter receivingrecess at only one point thereon, said recess inclining upwardly andinwardly of said frame in a portion thereof which overhangs saidoutwardly facing surface.

14. A section for a built-up enlarging earth boring tool, having aninwardly disposed angle member and an outwardly disposed angle memberconnected by a centrally positioned web, said inwardly disposed anglemember presenting an inwardly facing surface and an upwardly facingsurface, and said outwardly disposed angle member presenting anoutwardly facing surfaceparallel with said inwardly-facing surface and adownwardly facing surface parallel with the upwardly facing surface.

k15. A section for a built-up bore Aenlarging earth boring tool having acentral hub portion presenting interior and exterior seating surfacesand a plurality of attaching portions carried outwardly from the hubportion, said attaching portions having inwardly disposed seats toreceive a next inner section rand outwardly disposed seats to receive anext outer section.

16. An earth boring tool for enlarging a bore hole comprising a carrierstructure having means for attachment to a drill stem, a pluralityoffcutter supports connected to said carrier at intervals around itsouter part, said cutter supports depending from said carrier and leavingopen spaces between each other, said supports providing outwardly facingbearing surfaces tor frictionally engage the wall of a previously cuthole, and cutters carried by said supports above said bearing surfacesand disposed to cut a path cutside of the bearing surfaces.

17. A roller cutter unit for abore enlarging earth boring toolcomprising a frame having at `its, upper portion and to one side thereofattaching means, and to the other side of its upper portion a recessinclining inwardly and upwardly from the outermost side of the unit,fandthe lower portion of the-unit presenting an outwardly facing verticalsurface disposed in a vertical plane between said outermost side oftheunit and the attaching means, said surface providing a friction guidesurface below and inwardly of the opening to said recess. `1 f 18. Abore enlarging earth boring tool comprising a carrier having means forattachment to a drill pipe, a plurality of guides depending from thesaid carrier at different points around the edge thereof with openspaces between them at the margin of the carrier and beneath thecarrier, said guides having vertical outer faces to bear on the wall ofthe bore hole, and cutters mounted adjacent only the outer sides of saidguides leaving their opposite sides free from cuttingrmeans and insubstantially the same radial planes therewith said cutters overhangingthe said guides to enlarging earth boring drill having an upwardlyVagoo'ors and inwardly extending recess on its outer side,

and having its opposite side-unrecessedsai'd frame having a downwardextension from its'intact or unrecessed side reaching below-"thehorlzontal plane at which said recess opens `downp wardly, and meanswhereby-said framefcan'be removably attached in offside relation to thelaxis of the drill, said recessed upper portion overhang-` ng the outerside of said downward extension.:

20. An earth'boring tool for enlarging abore'ilo hole comprisingcoaxially disposedA sections; each section having cutter supportingportions disposed about the axis thereof, said portions offone sectionbeing at a greater distance'radially' from the axis of the section thanthe corresponding!"V '15 portions of the section next above are fromsaid axis, means removably connecting the sections together, eachsection havingseats, those of one section being at a greater distanceradially from the axis of the drill than the seats of the sectionf nextabove, said seats being adapted to receive either the next lower sectionor cutterfsuppor-t's,

supports for the cutters, and kmeans lremovably attaching them to any ofsaid seats, substantially projecting' below ythe horizontal plane inwhich` the cutters are located, and within the annular path of thecutters, each of said guide members having a friction bearing surfaceyto bear onthe Y side wall of the previously'cut bore hole in advance ofthe cutters, each guide .member-being., adjacent one of the cutters andin substantially the same radial plane of the drill therewith, saidguide' members being spaced apart circumferentially about the drill,there being a cutter supporting member for each cutter removablycon-52,5. nected to the carrier, substantially 'as described 23. A boreenlarging earth boring 'drill comprising a main section having a seatfor receiving a cutter support, means forattaching said central section'to a drill stern, a second section-31gy of largerdiameter thanthecentral section, having a seat forfreceiving said cutter support, meansfor removably attaching said second section to the central section, athird section of larger diameter than the second section having aseat/,3 for receiving saidcutter support, means for removably attachingthe third section to the second section, a cutter support with means`:for attaching it to the seat of the section last to be assembled inmaking up the bit Vof the desired,;.;; diameter, anda rotary cuttermounted on said support. l

24. A central supporting section for abore enlarging earth boring toolhaving means forattachment to a drill stem and having a.peripheral.enlargement intermediate the length of the section, said enlargementpresenting downwardly facing seating surfaces disposed on the exteriorof the section and karound the section in the same horizontal planeperpendicular to the :axis of? -the section, and means on saidenlargement for securing an attachment thereto removably, which may beanother sectionof a roller cutter support.

, CLARENCE E. REED.

